Inherently, if you think of Jason and I, it's immediately coupled with the thought that we're vegans. Technically we call ourselves strict vegetarians. But, not a lot of people really know what that is. I'll do some basic education and then address the most popular questions we get.
What's a vegan?
A vegan (vee-gun) is a person that does not consume any animal product or by-product. This not only includes food but clothing, beauty products, cleaning products, home decor....the list goes on. We read a ton of labels to do our best to ensure we aren't contributing to the use of animals as a commodity. It's quite shocking to realize how many animal products are found in simple day-to-day items. http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html This is a great link for a list of hidden animal products.
Why do you call yourselves strict vs vegan?
At this time Jason and I still consume honey. (Yes, this is considered an animal product) If we go out to eat there is absolutely no way to ensure our food is animal-product free when there aren't any local vegan restaurants but we certainly do the best we can. Our meals at home are always vegan. We don't wish to be hypocritical.
Some vegetarians eat seafood right?
I can get rather passionate about people that eat seafood calling themselves vegetarians. No, they are not! A true, Webster dictionary-vegetarian is someone that abstains from eating any animal flesh which fish, shrimp, scallops, oysters, yadda yadda are included. "Semi-vegetarian" or "Flexitarian" doesn't count either in our book either. It confuses omnivores and they end up arguing with me about it. Humph.
Don't you miss (insert animal product here) at all?
Nope. With time, dedication and a well-stocked pantry there is next to nothing I can't make or buy. There are some amazing vegan cooks out there that have taught me a lot. If I really missed said food I would have quit this lifestyle a long time ago. This is our life, how we live. Not a diet or a fad. We truly believe in what we're doing. It's grossly unfair to be given a hard time because we choose to live this way. If we were truly allergic to certain food items no one would say a thing.
Where do you get your protein?
Bread products, legumes, nuts, vegetables, nutritional yeast, seeds, soy products.
What do you eat?
We're always sincerely baffled by this question. Honestly - it's not that hard to eat veggie every meal, all the time. Especially in today's world - vegetarians in the 70's & 80's had it a great deal harder than we do. Come by, we'll be happy to make a palate pleasing vegan meal for you. We don't eat sprouted bean curd with vegetables that no one can pronounce on a bed of hay. If you've ever met me, there is no doubt I eat well.
That's about it for now - if you have any questions, let me know.
